The Mansion Awaits Spring — Chapter 24

WHO IS MY PARTNER?

TH-THAT IS...

IT IS HIS GRACE, GRAND DUKE MILLER DIEUS...

APRIL, THE GIRL WHOM THE LUNOS COUPLE RAISED AS THEIR PRECIOUS TREASURE,

WAS SO HAUGHTY AND DEMANDED TO POSSESS EVERYTHING SHE DESIRED...

...SHE WAS THE TINY BLACK SPOT AT THE VERY CENTER OF MY LOVE,

WHICH BURNED AS FIERCELY AS THE SUN...

SHE WAS THE DARKEST BLEMISH...

...ON THE BRIGHTLY SHINING SUN.

DO YOU REALLY LOATHE BEING PARTNERS WITH APRIL THAT MUCH?

HEIDI...

WOULD IT HAVE BEEN BETTER IF I HAD PARTICIPATED AS WELL?

OR PERHAPS...

IS IT BECAUSE YOU ARE AFRAID OF HER?

AFRAID? THAT IS UTTERLY IMPOSSIBLE.

I AM MERELY SICK AND TIRED OF HOW VICIOUS AND RELENTLESS SHE IS.

HOUSE LUNOS IS NOTHING NOW, ISN'T IT?

SHE DOES NOT POSSESS A SINGLE THING TO HER NAME...

MILLER.

APRIL WILL NOT SIMPLY VANISH SO EASILY.

THUS, YOU HAD BEST PREPARE YOURSELF THOROUGHLY.

WELL...

NOT THAT ANYTHING OF CONSEQUENCE COULD OCCUR DURING A GAME OF GREENBALL.

DO YOUR BEST.

THIS PLACE, CURRENTLY UTILIZED AS THE GREENBALL COURT...

...IS ONE OF THE GRAND DUCAL RESIDENCE'S NUMEROUS PRIVATE PARLORS.

THOSE GRANTED PERMISSION TO ENTER HERE...

Did you hear His Grace and the Lunos girl are on the same team?

The final party of the year is an absolute triumph.

...ARE EXCLUSIVELY THOSE AFFILIATED WITH THE PLAYERS.

PEJIN LIKELY PROPOSED GREENBALL, A GAME SUITABLE FOR A PARLOR...

...TO AFFORD ME THE OPPORTUNITY...

...TO ACQUAINT MYSELF WITH PROMINENT FIGURES FROM INFLUENTIAL FAMILIES.

These are the mallets to be used in the match.

IT WILL BE EASIER TO LOCATE MY EXTENDED FAMILY THIS WAY, MAKING IT QUITE ADVANTAGEOUS.

NATURALLY...

...SECURING VICTORY IN THE GAME REMAINS THE PARAMOUNT OBJECTIVE.

GREENBALL IS A GAME WHERE ONE STRIKES A WHITE BALL WITH A LONG WOODEN MALLET...

...TO SINK SEVEN GREEN BALLS INTO A DESIGNATED HOLE.

IN THIS MATCH FEATURING FOUR PARTICIPATING TEAMS...

...THE YELLOW RIBBON TEAM, COMPOSED OF APRIL AND MILLER, IS CRUISING SMOOTHLY AFTER ADVANCING TO THE FINALS.

WITH A SCORE FROM THE YELLOW RIBBON TEAM...

...IT IS SUDDENLY ONE TO FIVE.

NEXT IS THE GREEN RIBBON TEAM'S TURN.

WHAT EXTRAORDINARY FOCUS YOU HAVE.

YOU THINK SO?

I USUALLY CONCENTRATE DEEPLY WHEN IT COMES TO GAMES I INTEND TO WIN.

...THIS GREENBALL GAME WAS INITIALLY PEJIN'S IDEA.

DID YOU INSTIGATE THIS?

JUST WHAT EXACTLY IS YOUR RELATIONSHIP WITH PEJIN?

IT IS NOT ROMANTIC IN NATURE, SO YOU NEED NOT WORRY.

ROMANTIC?

WELL, I UNDERSTAND YOUR APPREHENSION.

BUT EVEN SO, YOU KNOW FULLY WELL THAT YOU CANNOT STOP IT, CORRECT?

IT SEEMS TO BURN EVEN BRIGHTER THE MORE ONE ATTEMPTS TO EXTINGUISH IT.

AT LEAST, SPEAKING FROM MY EXPERIENCE.

GOODNESS... THE GREEN RIBBON TEAM CONCLUDES THE SET WITH TWO POINTS.

IT IS THE YELLOW RIBBON TEAM'S TURN.

LET US GO. IT IS OUR TURN.

SEVEN YEARS AGO, SHE WAS MERELY A NAIVE GIRL WHO WOULD BLUSH AT THE VERY SIGHT OF ME...

Hitting that ball first will prove advantageous this turn.

...A YOUNG GIRL WHO HAD JUST ENTERED PUBERTY.

EVEN WHILE SHAMELESSLY GRATING ON MY NERVES...

Yes, understood.

...WHEN THE MOMENT DEMANDS IT...

..SHE WATCHES HER EMOTIONS, AND FOCUSES SO INTENSELY...

...?

Hehehe!

BUT HOW AM I SUPPOSED TO STIFLE IT?

HEY, HEY, THAT IS ENOUGH LAUGHING!

My stomach is going to tear at this rate!

DOING THIS NOW MAKES IT TWICE AS AMUSING~

...!!!

HAHA

HA

THAT CROSSED THE LINE. I SHALL INTERVENE.

LEAVE IT BE.

JUST SECURE THE VICTORY AND LET US DEPART.

WHAT? YOU WERE JUST BLATANTLY INSULTED.

Can you not see everyone mocking you?

YOU ARE SIMPLY GOING TO TURN A BLIND EYE TO SUCH A TASTELESS JEST?

IS THIS PETTY GAME REALLY THAT SIGNIFICANT?

YES.

IT IS VITAL.

I CAME HERE TO WIN.

IN EVERY SINGLE GAME.

I WILL NEVER SUFFER DEFEAT AGAINST ANYONE EVER AGAIN.

AT APRIL'S DECLARATION, HEIDI'S INQUIRY SUDDENLY ECHOED IN MY MIND.

ARE YOU AFRAID OF HER?

ANOTHER SCORE BRINGS THE YELLOW RIBBON TEAM TO SIX POINTS!

THEY WILL CLAIM VICTORY IF THEY SINK JUST ONE MORE GREEN BALL!

WASN'T IT SAID THAT SUNSPOTS APPEAR DARK BECAUSE THEIR TEMPERATURE IS LOWER THAN THE SURROUNDING SURFACE?

HOWEVER, WHEN THE MAGNETIC FIELDS RECONNECT AND ENERGY ACCUMULATES...

...ONCE IT REACHES A SPECIFIC CRITICAL THRESHOLD...

...IT TRIGGERS AN IMMENSELY CATASTROPHIC EXPLOSION.

WITH A SCORE OF TWO TO SEVEN, THE YELLOW RIBBON TEAM CLAIMS THE ULTIMATE VICTORY...

THAT SUNSPOT, THAT DARK BLEMISH...

...SIMMERED AT A SUBDUED TEMPERATURE...

...AND SOON, THE MOMENT EVERYONE'S ATTENTION WAS DRAWN TO IT...

...IT UNLEASHED A DEVASTATING ERUPTION.